There are a host of fluidized beds used for heat treating of components or for other treating of products by exposing the products to heat and examples of such structures and process are found in the following patents: U.K. Patent 1 293 187; Bauer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,277; Godderidge, U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,766; Canadian Patent 868,257; Deve, U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,165; Bailey, U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,615; Vogel, Canadian Patent 1,193,067; European Patent 0 122 029; European Application 0 025 818 and Harding, U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,966.
An example of a fluidized bed heated by infrared radiation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,061. A further example of heating using infrared technology can be found in Wynne, U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,874 which discloses the concept of enclosing infrared radiation lamps within a quartz tube for use in a vacuum furnace as well as Steixner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,252 which discloses the placing of a quartz lamp within a closed quartz tube.